Coupler



March 16 1926.

' J. WESOLIK COUPLER 2 Sheets-Shee l Original Filed August 27. 1923 March 16,1926.' 1,577,279 y J. wEsoLlK GOUPLER Original Filed August 27. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Wr-@i022 Patented Mar. 1926.

UNITEDV stares QA'rENT ori-ic JOSEPH WEsoLIK, OFBELLEVILLE, rumors, Assis/Non yor ONE-FOURTH To swam f LUETSCI-IER, yOIE' :BELLEVI'LLIE, ILLINOI OF CLINTON, :MASSACHUSETTS S, ANDONE-VFOURTH TO LUDWIG KRIBBEN,

COUPLER.

Original application led August 27, 1923, Serial No. 659,471. Divided and this application filed January v 26, 1925. i Serial No. 4,752.

To all whom t may concern: Y

Be it known that I, JosEPH Wesonrn, a citizen of the United States, residing in Belleville, in the county of St.A Clair and State of Illinois, have invented certain new vand useful Improvements in Couplers, ,of

which the following is a specification.'

This invention relates to couplers Y and more particularly to mine ear couplers.

This application is a divisional applica-V tion ofA my application bearing` SeriallNumbei` 659,471-i f Y v v j.

The objectof this invention'is 'to `provide a coupler, which is a distinct and practical improvement to overcome certain practh4 1l objections. to,and defects in, mine car couplers ofthe present type. l j n A further obj ectv ofthe invention is to provide a male coupler having a jointed member 'adapted for connection with a female, or mating coupler after one of the fse'ctions of the jointed member is moved from a right angular position to a horizontal position by one .end thereofcoming into Contact with a stationary post disposed in -its"j 3ath of travel.V I i. 'Y 1 A further object of the invention is, the provision of means.V for holdingther jointed member in ho `izontal aiignment Vuntil changed by actuating such-means. j ,iV-.7 ith the above and other objects in view, thefinyention consists in thenovel features of construct-ion, arrangement and combinationfof partsV hereinafter more fully deserii'iedv and naliyv` pointed out yin.` the claims hereto appended.

Referring` to theaecompanying drawings forming` a pa-rt of this specification, where in like characters of reference denote vsimilar parts throughout the several views:

Figi l, is a plan view of a coupler embodying the features of my present invention.

Fig. 2, isy a sideelevation thereof. Fig. 3, is a sectional view takenon line 3 3-of Fig. 2. i 1 j Fignft, is a view of .thecoupler,partly in side elevation and partly 'in vertical sec- `It will be here observed that haveiliiistratedand described both. a male anda fe'- male type of coupler in this application, as applied to opposite ends of mine cars7` but the male coupier only being` the subject matter of this application, the female coupler is elected win; ymy co-pendingfapplication SerialA Number 659,471, previously referred to, the female coupler being illustrated nierely for the purpose of showing the relation of a Yfemale coupler to the male coupler and it. is manifest that other types of female 'couplers may be efliciently: used withinale coupler. v

TheV male coupler comprises a head-.niember designated l from which extends rearwardly a suitable draw bar 2. .The sides of the head l extendlaterally beyond the sides oftheV draw bar 2as at-,S and the forward outer corners or kthe coupler head l are roundedfasat d. YThecoiiper head l and its integralfdraw har are provided with a iongitudinaily disposedipassage which is open atits forward end. Slidably mounted in the passage-5 is a coupler bar (i, which is oneseetion of a jointed member. V'ihe coupler bar Gis provided with alongitudinally dis )osed slotted oienino' 7 and the forward bifurcated end 8. A suitable stop pin 9 suitab'y carried by the draw bar 2 and it passesthrough the slotted'openineJ 7 of the slidable, coupling bar ,6. The stop pin 9 prevents extreme forward movement of the siidable coupler, bar @during pulling4r movelnents thereofV whenconnected,with a female or companion coupler. 7

lili

(ifi

A suitable connecting' liar 10 is pivotaly connected, by means ot a pivot pin 1l, at its rear end to the bitiireated end 8 oi the slid able eoiipler liar il. The torii'ard end ot the connecting; har l() is provided with an iipwardliiY directed pulling shoulder lf2 and the lower corners thereof are rounded, as at 13 to facilitate Coupling operations with a coinpanion eoiipler. The reterenee ninneral lll represents a suitable L-shaped trigg'einieniilier whieh is pivotally eonneeted, b v means ot a siiitalile pin l to suitable bearings 1G, which bearings lli are siiitahl'v fixed to the top 'lace ot' the eoiipler head l near its for ward edge, as dearly shown in Figs. l. 2, and (i. The trigger ll is pi'oi'ided with a vertically disposed downwardl)` directed trigger arni A1T having its :forward lower corner roiinded, as at 191 The arni 17 has its lower end taee fiat, as at 19 for engagement; with the iipper fare ol the rear ond ot the connecting' liar lll, which is disposed in the liit'nr 'ated end of the eoiipler liar (i for looking' the eonneetingir bar l() in its extended or horizontally aligned position tor eoiip ling connection with a matingr eoiipler head. The lower rear corner ol the Connecting liar l0 is eoneaved, as at 20, `to engage and receive the ronnded `corner 18 of the trigger mechanism whenever the Connecting bar l0 is moved into a vertirallv disposed or hang ingir position, as shown in fiill lines in Fi". (i, for shorteningr the overall length of the niine ar whenl ridiirer in a mine eagle.

Each track leading from the mine cane provided with a suitable striking post 2l which the. eonneeting bar of the jointed member will strike after i` mine ear leaves a enge, thereby automatically* raising;r the conneeting bar trom its hangingr or vertical position to a horizontally disposed position in alignment with its iso-member`r the slidalile coupler liar C, as shown in dotted lines in Figi.` (L and in full lilies in Figures l to 5. The trie'ger ll is provided with a rearwardly directed, horizontally disposed arm 22 which is provided at its rear end with a suitable hand operated lever member .liwliieli eX- tends 1ateralliY to eaeli side of a mine ear where they een be easilyv and quickly raised bv the operator Jfor releasingr the tringler arin lT trom engagement with the connectine' bar l() to permit the Connecting;r bar 10 to tall or drop and assinne a vertiealliv disposed position, as Clearly shown in full lines in Fier. G. The draw bar of the coupler l is siiitablv eonneeted to a mine oar, as is manifest, and not believed necessary to illustrate, aside from dotted lines.

The female, or mating, coupler, which is merely illustrated for the purpose of shoiw ing a complete eoiipled connection between two mine ears is shown as comprising a hollow couper head 24 having' a bottom wall Q5, the side walls 2G, 'the rear end wall ET and the iop wall The liont: end ot the lioniale coupler il is open, as at Q9 and the sides thereof are bounded by two opposed vertically disposei'l stop [langes Si() which are directed toward each other, assliown in Fig. t2, and the side walls 2li are also each provided with the bumping tlange El. rlhe front outer corners of the bumping 'flanges 3l are rounded, as at 32 and the forward upper tace of the bottom wall ol the teniale eoiipler is beveled, as at B53.

A, suitable lool( plate il ispositiioned to the rear ol the trent oijienings Ql et eonpler ill-l. The lool( plate Si is liiniiedfv supported b v means olf a siiitalile pin Slo, the ends ot wliieh pin extend into opijiosed vortiralllv disposed slotted oijienings f-lti in the side walls QH ot the 'teiiiale ifonplei' to permit: rraiii'ard :ii-enale movement olf the lochV plate :ind rertioal movement tliereot'. 'lflie ,ower edges ot the lock plate 3l are siiit'ahlv ari-hed,y as at 2". The side edges olf the loek plate ill, when in its vertieallj,Y disposed position, engage the inner taees ot they stop flanges il() ot the coupler El to prevent -loi-ward arenate movement thereof.

The means for holdingthe lool; plate 311: against accidental vertical displacement eonsists ot a bail member 3S. Jlirios 39 thereof are pivotally connected to the ex.- tended `ends of the look plate supporting pin 35. The hail member 38 is provided with a looped member 4:0, the lower portion 4-1 ot 'which is adapted to engage either ot the pair of stops 42 or 43 when the lock plate 34 is in its norn'ially closed position, as will be apparent from Fig. Q, which prevents aooidental vertical displaeeinentnoit the look plate 34.

The means for actuating the hail meiiiher and the lool( plate for raising the latter :from engagement with the connecting bar l() of the male coupler7 consists of a hand lever lll; extending toward both sides ot a mine ear and is joiirnaled in bearings -l-i fixed to the end ot a mine ear bodv. 'l-i represents a rod connecting the looped portion of the bail member `with the operating hand lever tat. The forward end oit the con; neeting rod flG is looped, as at il? and the lower portion oil the loop :inidwav its ende, as at 4S, is lower than at its ends 'lor releasing the lower portion oi the loop lroin looked engagement with either stop 4t2 or 43 prior to lifting` the look plate 311-. during' an iineoiipling operation with the jointed member of a male coupler. The eoiipler head Q4 is provided with a rearwardly directed draw bar 49, as shown. l

The operation of the coupler is as follows.

Assuming that two mine or other suitable ears are connected together, as clearly shown in Figs, l, Q and ls and it is desired to diseonneet the coupling connection there between, the operator raises the hand operated lEO .bar 2.

cngagin stops.

lever 44from eitheriside of the car which first releases the lower portion of the loop portion of the bail member 36 from locking Contact with either of the stops 42 or 43 and brings the bail meinber'to a substantial vertical position and then in its farther upward movement raises the lock plate 34 free of engagement orinterference with the pull shoulder l2 of the coupler connecting bar 10 thereby permitting the two connected cars to be uncoupled, as is manifest.

Vhen it is desired to couple two cars together, theoperator Vmerely'sees'that the pivoted connecting bar 10 is raised to its horizontally disposed position, 'as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 4 and as the cars are moved together, the head of the connecting bar 10 strikes the lower portion of the lock plate 34 moving it suddenly in a rearwardly and upwardly arcuate path until the pull shoulder 12 has moved into the coupler head 24 a suliicient distance .to cause the lock plate 34 to automatically move back to its normal vertical position by means of gravity, thereby automaticallyl coupling the cars and locking the male and female coupler heads together.

Due to the large end opening 29 in coupler head 24 and the pin like structureof the connecting bar l0, it is evident that-the .connected cars can move about a very sharp curve as indicated by connecting bar in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

it will be further observed from Fig. 5, that when two cars are bumped together, that the coupler heads 24 and l come into end for end contact with each other, causing the coupler bar 6 and the connecting bar 10 to utilize the entire length of space provided for within the two coupler heads and draw The forward end of the connecting bar l0 at all times rests upon the bottom wall 25 of the coupler head 24 thereby preventing any. possible chance vof accidental uncoupling of the coupling heads due to the fact Vthat the pull plate or lock plate is locked Vagainst accidental :vertical displacement by means of the bail member and its It will be clearly apparent from the drawing and description of the male coupler that it can be effectively used with other types of female couplers than that illustrated and described in this application.

rlhe many advantages of the herein described invention will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art to which it appertains. l

I do not wish to be understood as having limited myself to the exact details of construction shown and described, but desire to have it understood that the invention I' have shown inthe drawings is merely illustrative, as it is manifest that various minor changes may be made in the form, shape and particular arrangement of 'parts without departing from the spirit of my invention, hence l reservev the Vright to make any such changes, or modifications as may fairly fall within the scopeof the appended claims 'head with one arm thereof directed downwardly to engage the upper face of the rear end of said connecting bar to hold the bar in a horizontal coupling position and a. 'handle connected to the other arm of the trigger for actuating the first mentioned- I .E L .A i: arin oi vthe trigger irom contact with the connecting 'bar to'permit the bar to fall by gravity to a perpendicular position.

2; ln a coupler construction, a draw a coupler head, said draw bar and head having a longitudinal passage yopen at the front face of the coupler head, a coupling bar having' a vertically disposed slotted opening` slidably mounted in saidV passage, a pin carried by the coupler head and passing through said slotted opening to limit the sliding movement of said coupling bar in either' direction, a hook shaped connecting bar pivotally connected at its rear end to the forward end of said coupling bar,'a trigger member pivotally supported upon the `coupler head, a trigger arm directed downwardly from said trigger member `for contact with the upper face of the connecting bar to hold the connecting bar in a horizontally `extended position for coupling engagement with a` companion coupler and CII a lever foractuating the trigger member l for disengaging the trigger arm for engagement with the upper face of the connecting` bar to permit the connecting bar to assume a vertically disposedposition for sudden Contact with a track post for automatically raising the connecting bar to its horizontal coupling position.

In a coupler construction, a draw bar, a coupler head integral therewith and hav-l ing a passage extending through the coupler head and into the draw bar, a coupler bar having a slotted opening therein slidi ably mounted in saidpassage, a pin passing through the draw bar and the slotted opening in said coupler barto limit its sliding movement, a connecting bar pivotally conncp-ivd ai .ifs um' owl i0 the forward @11d of mid mmpor bn l, :L hggox: nwmber pvotnliy suppm'tw?. ou Hw couplet* hmld und Q11 gaming the mmmting 11:11' to thu man of Hm 3 pvm' point lo hold Uw cmnwci'ing bmi 'm mmpl'mg lwstion und n` bundle extending 'l'on'l the trigger mmnbel? ifm' zlclmting the JOSEPI-I TESOL'IK 

